Virtual reality (“VR”) is becoming a ubiquitous part of daily computing environments. Advances in both hardware and software allow applications to more commonly include VR elements. However, user interface (“UI”) controls in VR environments behave in ways that seem unexpected to a user who is unfamiliar with the VR environment. In addition, UI controls in a VR environment can change behavior based on the context of the control within the VR environment.
A developer of a VR environment may provide information describing the function or behavior of UI controls in the VR environment, such as by displaying information adjacent to the control, providing help documentation, or providing a tutorial time period or area. However, the information can be provided in a manner that is inappropriate for a user's needs. For example, providing information describing each control in all contexts may clutter the VR environment and obscure the activity that the user is attempting to perform, frustrating the user and reducing the usefulness of the VR environment. In addition, a tutorial provides a limited area or time in which the UI controls are carefully explained to the user. However, a tutorial does not provide information in all areas or time periods of the VR environment. A user who is in a non-tutorial area or time period is unable to access helpful information if he or she is presented with a new context in the non-tutorial area or time period. Furthermore, providing information in help documentation can be distracting and time-consuming, as the user would need to move his or her attention away from the current activity in order to view the help documentation. In addition, it may be frustrating for a user to research an unfamiliar control or context in help documentation.
It is desirable for information describing UI controls in a VR environment to be available in all contexts of the VR environment. In addition, it is desirable for such contextual information to be hidden until an indication is received from the user that contextual information is requested.